The Real Beginning
by superfan24
Summary: Stiles would insist it all started with that ride home, really, because it was the very start, but Derek would counter that he'd only given her a ride home because Scott bailed, so it all came back to Scott, anyways. Post summer finale. O/S


Hey guys! So, this is my first Teen Wolf fanfic. I recently became obsessed with the idea of Derek and Allison, and there just isn't enough Dallison out there, so I'm adding to the (hopefully) ever growing pile. I hope I did the characters justice. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Wolf, or Allison. Or Derek (but oh how I wish I did... le sigh).

It wasn't done out of malice, he knew, but sometimes teenagers (people) could be so thoughtless.

Yes, Derek was glad the Alpha pack was gone. He was glad Kali was dead, even if he _hadn't_ gotten to kill her himself. He was glad to be done with Jennifer, because he was tired of women using him for their own personal gain and because she'd hurt his pack. Even if he wasn't Alpha anymore, it was still _his_ pack.

For all these things, and a bit more, Derek was glad.

Did that mean he wanted to celebrate at a bonfire, of all things? No.

Fire would never be a cause for celebration in Derek Hale's life.

When Scott first suggested it, Derek didn't really give it much thought. So he wanted to celebrate. That was fine. His mother was alive and the threat of the Alpha pack was gone. Scott should have wanted to celebrate.

But then Scott mentioned it to Stiles, who mentioned it to Lydia, who was a planner. And a doer. So by that Wednesday a party was underway. By Friday Derek was invited. He had been out picking up a few things at the hardware store when Isaac had walked in.

"Did you hear about Lydia's thing?" Isaac asked as Derek perused the drill bits.

"Lydia's thing?" he asked absentmindedly, putting down his selection and reaching for another.

"I guess it's technically Scott's thing, but Stiles told Lydia, and she sort of commandeered it because she's… you know, Lydia."

"Are we talking about the bonfire thing?" Derek asked, wondering if he would actually have time to finally mount his TV on the wall or if some other supernatural threat was about to roll into town when everyone's guard was down. But he was at the store already; he may as well buy the bits…

"Yea. It should be fun. I know you and fun don't really get along, Derek, but Stiles seems to think the Pack needs it, and Lydia agreed, and well… it's Lydia."

Derek sighed. This conversation was exhausting him. He shouldn't have to show up at anything just because Lydia and Stiles decided the Pack needed to partake in recreational fire use, but he had a feeling he couldn't exactly get out of it. Because… it was Lydia.

(That's how it all started. Later, Derek would find it kind of funny that Scott had been the one to give them their real beginning.)

So with a sigh Derek agreed. And now he was sitting about a mile away from where he was supposed to be meeting everyone, but he could feel the fire on the air. Smell the smoke.

If he listened hard enough he could still hear his family screaming.

That's how Allison found him; huddled on a boulder, elbows resting on his bent knees, head in hands. It was the first time she'd seen him even a little bit vulnerable, and she mused silently to herself how odd it was to see someone who was so big and strong looking so small. With a sigh, she approached the boulder, and took a seat next to him.

"I told them it was a bad idea," she said after a few minutes, when Derek's breathing seemed more regular.

"What?" he asked. Honestly, there were a lot of things she could have told the Pack were bad ideas.

"The bonfire," she elaborated, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them, mimicking Derek's pose. "As soon as Lydia and Stiles invited me, I told them it was a bad idea. That it was a thoughtless way to celebrate _everyone's _victory if it would make even one of us feel uncomfortable."

"That was… really nice of you, actually," Derek replied, surprised. Allison Argent had never gone out of her way to spare his feelings before, if she even believed he had any.

"Yeah, well, I figured since my family is the ones who made you hate fire, I should be the voice of reason. Lydia vetoed me, though. Said too much planning had already gone underway. And well…. it's Lydia."

"Yes. It _is_ Lydia," Derek answered. "But still, thank you, for at least trying. I'm normally alright; candles, barbeques, those types of things don't really bother me. But I was walking up there, and I could just… feel the heat. And I could smell it, and…" Derek let himself trail off. Yes, it had been nice of Allison to try to defend his feelings to the Pack, but that didn't necessarily mean she wanted all of his baggage laid down at her feet.

"It's understandable," she said softly. She thought of putting her hand on his shoulder, and then thought better of it. "Scott could sense you, getting farther away from the party, and he feels a bit guilty, since this whole thing was really his idea. I volunteered to come find you."

"You did?" She'd surprised him twice tonight.

"Yeah… I… I thought we could, you know, talk a bit."

Three times. Allison Argent had surprised Derek Hale three times tonight.

(In Allison's mind, this would always be the start, but Derek would still insist it all started with Scott, and Allison would roll her eyes.)

"You want to talk. To me," he said clearly, trying to understand what exactly was going on. Was he still in Beacon Hills or was this some crazy, alternate universe he'd suddenly slipped into?

"Yes. I think a lot of things have happened between us, either directly or indirectly, and for the sake of the Pack, I feel like we should clear the air," Allison replied rationally. "Well, I'd like to start with what happened with… my mom," Allison began, growing a little nervous. She felt ready to talk about this, especially with him. She just hoped she would keep her calm.

"You know why I did what I did," Derek replied, without any regret in his voice. Once upon a time, Allison would have snapped at him for that.

"I do. I understand everything perfectly now. I understand Scott was in trouble, and you protected him the best way you knew how. I understand the bite isn't a death sentence. Gerard would have been more than happy to Turn and live that way for the rest of his life. But he made my mom feel like that wasn't an option. So… I'm sorry. For acting the way I did after it all went down. I'm sorry for trying to kill you…," Allison trailed off, taking in a shuddering breath.

"Allison, you don't have to say anymore," Derek whispered, afraid speaking too loudly would spoil the fragile moment between them.

"No, Derek, I do. I was so angry with you, and I didn't even stop to see the bigger picture. That you honestly _didn't _kill my mom out of malice, even though you could have. You could have tried to kill my whole family for what we did to you… for your losses…," she whispered as a tear fell from her eye. "I'm so, so sorry for what Kate did, Derek."

"Allison, that isn't for you to apologize for. I understand your anger and upset over your mom. It was a normal reaction. One I really understand. But you aren't Kate, and her mistakes aren't your own. You pulled yourself out of that spiral Gerard sent you down. You're a better woman than your aunt, by far."

They were quiet for a few moments. But Derek could hear the Pack a mile off; enjoying the bonfire and each other's company without the added threat of death lurking over their heads. Derek was glad for them. Glad it appeared they could still enjoy a moment of levity.

Of innocence.

Derek hadn't been able to feel that way in a long, long time. And he had a feeling Allison hadn't either.

"I would have done the same thing, you know," she whispered when the silence came to be too much. "If someone had been threatening someone I loved, I would have done anything to protect them."

Derek didn't have a reply to that. He wasn't necessarily sure he loved Scott, but he did care for him, as Pack and as a friend. Even though Scott had never actually joined the Pack in words, he was a part of the Pack in Derek's mind.

Yes. Maybe he did love Scott, in a way. He was like the little brother he'd lost. He was the first person he'd truly cared for since Laura. He had a pressing need to make sure he was alright. Perhaps that's what love was.

"That, right there, is what sets you apart from Kate," he said when her sniffles had died down. "She was all about protecting herself. I don't even know if she _could _actually love anyone besides herself. But you… Allison, you're so selfless, so giving."

"Please. Don't make me out to be some sort of saint, Derek. We both know how I reacted when my mother died," Allison replied, moving to get off the boulder; put some distance between herself and the former Alpha. The moment was becoming too heavy; more than she'd anticipated. She was getting flutters in her stomach the way Derek's eyes were boring into hers, so open and honest for the first time since he'd given her a ride home all that time ago.

(Stiles would insist it all started with that ride home, really, because it was the very start, but Derek would counter that he'd only given her a ride home because Scott bailed, so it all came back to Scott, anyways.)

Derek reached out and grabbed her arm, stilling her movements. With his other hand he turned her face back so he could look her in the eyes again.

"And you can admit when you're wrong. And you came back from all that. You're so much stronger than you even realize you are."

Allison didn't know what to say. She could remember, so clearly, hating this boy in front of her.

No. Not a boy.

A man.

Derek Hale was a man and he was looking at her like she was the most breathtaking woman on the planet.

She wasn't sure she could handle it all. Not in this moment.

But maybe… someday. She'd really like there to be a 'someday.'

Allison smiled her dimpled smile and brushed some hair behind her ear. She really wanted to stop blushing but his words were so sweet, so unlike the Derek Hale she'd known for so long, and she wanted to savor the feeling in case he locked this part of himself away from her again.

"Thank you," she finally whispered. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to stand with her. "Do you think you can brave this party?"

"I think I'd like to try," he answered, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Good, because everyone is dying to see their former Alpha," she replied, pulling him along the forest with her as they made their way towards the fire in the distance. "They wanted to see Peter and Cora tonight, too, but no one could find either of them."

"I haven't seen Peter in about a week," Derek answered as they maneuvered around roots and twigs scattered along the forest floor. "And Cora was feeling overwhelmed with everything. As much as I loved having my baby sister back, I can't really make her stay her if she doesn't want to. She promised to call."

"Are you really OK with her leaving?" Allison asked tentatively.

"I'm not thrilled. She's family; almost my only family. I want her with me. But not at the expense of her happiness."

They were nearing the clearing where the Pack was gathered. The heat was thicker on the air now. Smoke tinged the sky around them. He could smell the burning.

But he could hear no screams. Not this time, with this brave girl beside him, holding his hand as if she never really wanted to let him go.

"You're stronger than you realize you are, too," Allison whispered as they stopped in the brush just before the clearing.

She turned to face him, and Allison looked into his eyes, and she realized that if being an Argent had taught her anything it was that life was short, and it could be so cruel, and you had to take the moments you were handed and make the very most of them before it was past too late.

Derek must have realized it, too, because they both began to lean in to each other at the same time. Allison gave a small giggle, Derek the briefest of smiles, and then their lips met. The noises of the bonfire were blocked out, and Derek felt a different heat spreading throughout his body wherever Allison was touching. And he welcomed it.

As far as kisses go, it was rather tame, but considering their tumultuous relationship thus far, Derek thought it was kind of perfect. And Allison had turned a very pretty shade of red, so he figured he must have done something right.

With a gentle smile and the tug of a hand, Derek led Allison into the clearing.

(Lydia would later insist that this was the beginning, because first kisses are always the beginning, but Derek would reply that Scott had felt guilty which had prompted Allison to go looking for him, so it still all came back to Scott.)

Derek would have to remember to thank Scott one of these days.

So, that's that. Maybe I'll have more in the future. I'm just falling back into writing again, so we'll see. Review or not, but thanks for reading!


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